Senate`s Security Plan Sensible

January 1, 1986

AFTER STUDYING the government`s security systems for one year, the Senate Intelligence Committee has come up with some modest but sensible recommendations for an overhaul of the national security system.

The Senate proposal is in marked contrast to the unreasonable presidential directive, recently revised, that had required lie detector tests of all government employees -- including Cabinet officers -- with access to confidential information.

The committee`s recommendations include the overhaul of the present document classification system, keeping protections for ``secret`` and ``top secret`` documents but dropping the ``confidential`` designation. The committee said much confidential information does not affect national security and time spent protecting its secrecy is a waste of taxpayers` money.

There`s no doubt about that. In fact, government employees sometimes seem intent on protecting documents from public scrutiny just to justify their paychecks.

The committee also recommended beefing up security within all House and Senate committees dealing with classified material by permanently employing staff stenographers and transcribers who would go through extensive security clearances.

That makes sense. Congressional committees deal with some of the nation`s most sensitive secrets, especially since Watergate, which resulted in Congress exercising a more thorough oversight role over sensitive government agencies.

In light of numerous arrests in 1985 of persons charged with espionage and searches for still others suspected of spying, the committee`s recommendations should be given high priority when Congress reconvenes.

The proposals are not grandiose, but they will help. And, they could even result in some savings by declassifying documents that were made secret for political reasons, rather than to protect national security.